This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 with respect to Japanese Application No. 2001-058158 filed on Mar. 2, 2001, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention generally relates to vehicle doors. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an opening and closing device for a vehicle door. More particularly, this invention pertains to a vehicle door opening and closing device provided with a hook mechanism for holding a vehicle door under a door opened condition relative to a vehicle body and a moving mechanism for moving the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body.
There are a variety of known opening and closing devices for opening and closing a vehicle door. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication 2000-160935 discloses one such vehicle door opening and closing device. The device described in this document includes a slide door movably supported by a vehicle body so as to open and close an opening defined in the vehicle body for allowing an individual to enter and exit the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle door opening and closing device is provided with an open position holding mechanism, a moving mechanism, and an electric driving mechanism. The open position holding mechanism holds the slide door under a door opened condition relative to the vehicle body, while the moving mechanism slidably moves the slide door relative to the vehicle body. The electric driving mechanism is operatively connected to the moving mechanism for operating the moving mechanism to slidably move the slide door for closing the opening.
The open position holding mechanism holds the slide door in the door opened condition by the biasing force of a biasing mechanism such as a spring. The open position holding mechanism is operated when the moving force of the slide door moving in the closing direction under operation of the moving mechanism operated by the electric driving mechanism exceeds the biasing force of the open position holding mechanism.
The vehicle door opening and closing device described above is susceptible of certain improvements. For example, when the electric driving mechanism is not operated while the vehicle is parked in a down-hill, the slide door may slidably move by itself in the closing direction. Therefore, the open position holding mechanism may be operated and the slide door may not be held at the door opened position.
Accordingly, a need exists for a vehicle door opening and closing device that is able to reliably hold the slide door in the door opened position.
A vehicle provided with an opening and closing device for a vehicle door includes a vehicle body having an opening which permits access into and out of the vehicle, a vehicle door movably supported by the vehicle body for opening and closing the opening, a hook mechanism which holds the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body under a door opened condition, a moving mechanism which moves the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body, an electric releasing actuator operatively connected to the hook mechanism to operate the hook mechanism and effect unhooking of the hook mechanism to permit the vehicle door to be moved in a closing direction to close the opening, an electric driving device operatively connected to the moving mechanism to operate the moving mechanism and move the vehicle door in the closing direction relative to the vehicle body to close the opening, and an operation means for generating a signal indicating that the vehicle door is to be moved in the closing direction to close the opening. A control means controls the operation of the electric releasing actuator based on the signal from the operation means and controls the operation of the electric driving device to initiate driving of the moving mechanism after initiating operation of the electric releasing actuator.
The operation of the hook mechanism is performed by driving the electric releasing actuator. Therefore, the hook mechanism is not operated even when the vehicle door is applied with a force which moves the door in a closing direction for closing the opening. That is, the operation of the hook mechanism is not associated with the moving force applied to the vehicle door upon a closing operation of the vehicle door. Therefore, the vehicle door can be reliably held at the door opened position relative to the vehicle body.
It is preferable that the control means includes a timing means for commencing counting from the initiation of the operation of the electric release motor. The control means terminates the operation of the electric release motor and controls starting of the operation the electric driving device based upon the lapsed time counted by the timing means from the initiation of the operation of the electric release motor.
In addition, a detecting means detects the movement of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body, with the control means terminating operation of the electric releasing actuator based upon the movement of the vehicle door detected by the detecting means or the lapsed time counted by the timing means. The timing means and the detecting means allow termination of the operation of the electric release motor and the starting of operation of the electric driving mechanism. Therefore, the hook mechanism is not required to be additionally provided with a detecting means for detecting the operation of the hook mechanism. This leads to a decrease in the number of components and a reduction in the manufacturing cost.
According to another aspect, a method for closing an opening defined in a vehicle body of a vehicle through movement of a vehicle door relative to the vehicle body involves operating an electric release motor operatively connected to a hook mechanism holding the vehicle door at an open condition to unhook the hook mechanism, with the driving of the electric release motor being initiated based upon operation of a switch, counting lapsed time from initiation of the operation of the electric release motor, judging whether the lapsed time from the initiation of the operation of the electric release motor is at least equal to a first predetermined time, and initiating driving of an electric driving mechanism for moving the vehicle door in a closing direction relative to the vehicle body based on whether the lapsed time from the initiation of operation of the electric release motor is at least equal to the first predetermined time.
In accordance with another aspect, a method for closing an opening defined in a vehicle body of a vehicle through movement of a vehicle door relative to the vehicle body includes directing a door closing operation of the vehicle door that is in an open condition, releasing a hook mechanism holding the door at the open condition by operation of a first motor operatively connected to the hook mechanism, counting lapsed time from initiation of operation of the first motor, and operating a second motor to move the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body in a closing direction based upon the lapsed time from the initiation of operation of the first motor.